Be the Hero
by BlackRoseWolf103
Summary: (Avengers:Infinity War Spoilers!) One-shot (Jane POV) It's just a normal day for Jane. She just got a new boyfriend, her work is flourishing, nothing could go wrong. That is until she learns of a universal threat and has an unexpected visitor.


Author's Note: Just a little one-shot I wrote for a challenge on another site. It does contain spoilers for the Thor movies and Avengers: Infinity War. I also included a little popular fan theory that has not been confirmed yet. As always enjoy and feel free to share some feedback!

(Jane POV)

I really thought today would be a normal day. I thought that my time with aliens and beings from other universes had come to a close when I had left him. I had just started dating another guy, someone who hadn't run away the second I mentioned that the god of thunder wasn't good enough for me. That was the hard thing about dating. It always went well until I had to tell him my name. Jane Foster, otherwise known as the girl who dumped Thor. If he's not good enough for her, how will I be? Long story short, my love life sucked.

I couldn't get away from him. Everywhere I went someone would recognize me and start asking questions about him, or someone would say something during one of the my guest lectures. I swear I would scream if I heard his name one more time.

It's worth mentioning even if I broke his heart, he shattered mine. I used to think it was bad enough when I waited a few days for contact from a college boyfriend, but that was nothing. I waited years for him to come back, and of course a phone call wasn't an option, but I had sat by the phone, wondering if he'd figure out how to somehow call me. He'd come back, apologize but then days later, he was gone again, no warning. I couldn't handle it, not anymore. That's why I ended it.

So I went on with life, as if he had never come into it. Tried to continue in my career. Not much more you can really achieve after winning a Nobel prize though. And I couldn't get much more famous than by dating an Avenger... from space... and dumping him... I swear somewhere there had to be some kind of news footage of him crying about me, as one of the accusations I got most often was "you made Thor cry!"

I had just come home from a lecture at a university in a different county, France actually, and it had been the same thing. People asking more about Thor and less about my work. Still I was used to it and didn't make a fool of myself. I was supposed to have a date tonight, and had at least five hours until he came by. I switched on the television, collapsing on the couch with a bag of potato chips in my hands.

I wasn't prepared for what was on the screen. Instead of a stupid TV show or the news, there was big black lettering spelling out "State of Emergency" and a loud beeping sound almost like a siren. What the hell was going on? I picked up the remote, flipping it to another channel. It was the same thing. I looked for anything else but it was just those letters across the screen. I had never seen anything like this, and I could only wonder what it was that was going on.

I stared dumbfounded at the screen, my mouth hanging open. What could it possibly mean? What kind of emergency would they have to broadcast over every single channel on live television? It wasn't like anything noticeable was happening outside, but then again, it was always quiet outside my apartment. There weren't that many people around, but usually I could look out the window and see someone walking their dog or taking a jog, but the streets were empty.

For a moment I wondered if it was all nothing. And then I heard a neighbor calling out for her daughter, becoming more and more panicked before she was screaming her name. Okay maybe everything wasn't normal. Instinctively I stood, climbing to my feet.

Part of me wanted to go over and help her look for her, but those words had brought an uncomfortable prickle through my skin, and I didn't want to leave the room. I felt sick to my stomach, feeling like I'd throw up. What was going on? My vision grew blurry, the room seeming to spin as everything went black.

I must've passed out, because before I knew it, I was opening my eyes to darkness and was laying on the floor. My head was aching as if I had slammed it on the floor when I had fallen. I probably had. I sat up slowly, my vision readjusting to the lack of light around me. The TV was still on, the same screen staring back at me with those letters, the siren screaming through the silence as if it was telling me to move, to go somewhere else other than my living room floor.

I forced myself to my feet, swaying slightly as I stood, my head still woozy. I glanced around me, seeing that besides day turning to night, nothing else had changed. I didn't know what to do next. Part of me considered calling the police, to see if they could tell me what was going on, but the more reasonable part told me that they wouldn't have any more insight then me, probably.

I stepped slowly towards my room, my hand touching my forehead, rubbing my temple as I walked. I briefly noticed that the door was open, odd since I usually closed it, but figured it was just because I had forgotten to this morning in my haste to get ready for my conference.

I walked into my room, heading towards my bed, when a sharp pain traveled up my toe, and I quickly deducted that I had stubbed it on something. I cursed under my breath, and I bent over, my hand feeling the space where the mysterious object lay, not able to figure out what it could possibly be.

My hand moved through the air, falling on something smooth, cool and almost metallic. As I ran my fingers along, trying to figure out what it was, the surface changed to course, and it felt like wood. I attempted to wrap my hand around it, although it was too wide for my grip. This only puzzled me further, as I crouched down more, using my other hand to grab onto the wood as well. I pulled up, expecting it to come up easy, although that was not at all the case. Whatever it was, it wouldn't budge, not even slightly.

Now there was nothing in my apartment that matched the criteria from the object, so it was something I was unfamiliar with. That only left the question, how did it get there in the first place? As I straightened up, my eyes lifted and I soon found my answer.

Sprawled out, face down across my bed was someone I couldn't quite distinguish in the dark. My heart skipped a few beats as I panicked for a minute wondering who the intruder was and why they were there. I stepped closer to the bed, the small amount of moonlight showing me that it was a broad shouldered, short haired man. The blankets were strewn about him as if he hadn't even cared about using them at all.

As I more closely examined him, I figured out that he wasn't from around here and yet there was something oddly familiar about him. His body was covered in a metallic armor, although it was far from perfect condition. The tattered remains of what may have once been a long scarlet cape lay over his body, as if it were a blanket.

His breaths were deep and gruff, barley audible against the loud siren screaming from the TV in the other room. I watched his body rise and fall with each one, at a quicker pace than I believed to be normal. His arm twitched every few seconds, and I heard a series of grunts escape his lips. It was clear enough that he was currently in a dream. I was unsure what to do about this whole situation, and instead hovered awkwardly over him for a moment, before sitting down on the edge of the bed. Reaching for one of the blankets, I pulled it so that it fell over him. I somehow hoped that would help make his dream not so bad.

I heard his breathing change pace, becoming slower again, and I felt him stir slightly, slowly pushing himself up. I quickly climbed to my feet, taking a leap away from the bed, my heart beginning to race in my chest.

The blankets fell off him as he reached a seated position, his arm moving to his forehead as a deep sigh escaped his lips.

I stepped back slowly, wincing as I heard the floor creak underneath me. His head immediately whipped around to face me, and I could see panic in his deep blue eyes.

"Who's there?..." he called out in a weak, feeble tone. Still there was a bit of menace behind it, something I didn't want to think about. His arm reached out towards the floor, his fingers spread apart. I watched as the object that had been on the floor, flew towards him, right into his grip. The moonlight shined off it, making it clear it was some kind of bladed weapon. "Who's there?..." he repeated, a little more loudly this time but still sounding very faint.

I swallowed nervously stepping forward into the light. His eyes softened and he lowered the weapon. "Jane..." he acknowledged. "I know I shouldn't be here, it's just I didn't know where else to go..." he trailed off.

It was only then that I realized why he seemed so familiar. Except for the lack of long golden hair, this was my avenger ex-boyfriend sitting in front of me. I couldn't believe I had missed it before, but then again I wasn't used to seeing him in this bad of shape. "It's okay" I told him slowly, the tension leaving my body as I stepped closer to him. "What happened?..."

For a moment I feared he wouldn't answer me, as he pressed his lips together. "I lost my father, my hammer, Asgard, just to kill my evil sister who I didn't know existed, half my people, Heimdall, my brother, and then caused half the universe to turn to dust..." as he finished I could hear his voice catch in his throat, and he blinked a few times.

I remained silent for a moment, taking a minute to process what he had said. Was that what the TV was warning me of. "What do you mean half the universe turning to dust?"

He took a breath. "Remember those infinity stones I told you about just before I dumped you?"

"I dumped you, but yes I remember"

"Someone collected all of them, and with them he wiped out half of all life." He explained. "I couldn't stop him..."

"So you think it's your fault?" I asked, sitting down next to him on the edge of the bed.

"I should've killed him..." he looked up, his eyes filled with tears. "I could've just done it and he'd be dead... Everyone would still be alive, but I didn't. I wanted him to go slow. I wanted him to suffer as much as I had. That was a mistake..."

"You can't blame yourself" I told him slowly, my hand reaching out to lay across his. "And you can't give up either. You're a hero right?"

He sniffled slightly, although nodding his head. "I'm not much of a hero now am I? Coming here, putting this all on you"

"Sometimes heroes need a pep talk too" I reassured, realizing that he probably would have no idea what I was talking about.

He sighed again. "I suppose you're right" he breathed out. "I guess I'm just afraid that if I go back out there, I'll mess something else up."

"You might" I affirmed. "But in the end everything will work out. You're the Mighty Thor, the God of Thunder, you can do anything."

A small smile cracked in his lips. In my years of dating him I had learned he had a bit of an ego, and if anything could cheer him up it was reminding him of who he was. "I'm not so sure of that" he muttered, the smile fading away as quickly as it had come. "This Thanos isn't like anyone else I've ever fought. I dare say he's stronger than even me."

"And you'll still beat him" I persuaded. I didn't like seeing him like this, hopeless and defeated. Seeing the shape he was in it didn't surprise me though. "The universe needs you, you can't just abandon them and turn your back on them because of one loss. You can't give up! Do you know where I would be if I gave up the first time someone told me that my profession was crazy, that I'd never make anything of my life by chasing after phenomenas? I'd still be living in my parents' basement."

"I don't think that's the same thing."

"Of course it's not, but what I'm trying to say is you won't get anywhere if you give up." I paused, moving closer to him and wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "You have to go back out there, and keep fighting, kill this son of a bitch. Be the hero when everyone needs you."

He sighed again. "You're right" he muttered after a moment. "I need to go. My team is probably waiting for me." He stood up. "Thank you Jane"

I simply smiled back at him, moving a strand of hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear. He stood facing me for a second longer in silence, our eyes locked in a gaze, before his shook his head. "Farewell." He turned to walk away and something in me sprung to life.

"Wait!" I shot up off the bed, quickly dashing towards him and grabbing his hand. "Promise me you'll come back afterwards" I told him.

He tilted his head to the side. "Does this mean you're no longer dumping me?" He asked.

I let out a small chuckle. "I think it does"

He smiled, grabbing my waist and slowly pulling me towards him. "Good, I thought the hair cut might scare you off" he joked.

"I actually like it" I told him. "It's a good look on you." I paused remembering how determined he was to never cut his hair. It was always a big argument. I tried to trim it once and he lost it. "What made you finally cut it?"

"I didn't, some creepy old man cut it off" I didn't understand what this meant exactly, but he didn't elaborate any more on the fact.

He pulled in a little more, his head moving down towards my height. Our eyes were locked with each other and a moment passed and we touched. It was like a spark ran through me the second I met his lips. I remembered how much I loved everything about him and every moment we spent together. The puzzled look on his face at his first slice of pizza, or when I tried to teach him how to operate a phone. Those nights when I just lay in his arms as he told me about his home planet. I missed him so much.

We pulled apart, and I could still feel the feeling of his lips on mine. I pressed them together for a moment, and just looked back at him. "You should probably go now..."

"Yeah I probably should" he muttered, his fingers loosening on my hand as he stepped away. "I've got a universe to save."

"You do" I folded my hands in front of as he stepped away.

"Bye" he awkwardly raised one hand to wave at me and I stifled a giggle.

"Goodbye Thor" I told him.

He turned around and began to walk away, and I followed behind him, back into main room.

The door slammed open and a man ran in. He was wearing glasses, and was a lot shorter than Thor, with short black hair. He was panting as if out of breath from running up the stairs. "Thor what the hell are you doing?" He demanded in shorts gasps of air.

Thor raised an eyebrow at him. "You followed me?" He asked.

"Yeah I followed you! What are you doing leaving us high and dry like that. The universe is a mess and we still have to kill Thanos!" He rambled.

"I was getting a pep talk" he smiled at me as he spoke and I knew for sure the god had no clue what he was talking about. It was cute that he pretended he did. "Oh and I should probably introduce you. Jane this is my friend, Bruce Banner. Banner this is my girlfriend, Jane Foster."

I knew well who Bruce Banner was. He was the member of the Avengers who was exposed to an abnormal amount of Gamma ray radiation and that gained him the ability to turn into the Hulk.

He turned to face me. "It's nice to see you again Jane." He told me as he stretched his hand out.

"Oh I don't think we've ever met" I told him taking his hand. "But I've heard so much about you. Sometime when you're not saving the Universe I'd love to hear about some of your work."

"I've heard a lot about you too, probably why I thought we've met before." He chuckled nervously.

He turned to face Thor. "Alright we need to go. Cap isn't going to wait forever."

"Right. Well goodbye Jane" he told me one last time. Before beginning to walk out the door.

It was my turn to do the awkward one handed wave to him. "Bye"

"I'll call!" He shouted as he left the room.

I giggled as I remembered his misunderstandings when it came to technology. "No he won't" I muttered.

"Well it was nice to meet you" Bruce told me as he turned to go after Thor.

"Wait!" I called out.

He turned back around. "He was pretty down earlier, can you just look after him?" I asked

His expression changed suddenly, his lips twisting into an amused smirk. "Oh Jane, I do believe to can look after himself. You really do have much to learn..." he paused shaking his head. "Then again so does my brother I'm afraid. Take care, we wouldn't want him to lose someone else dear to him."

As he turned to go I stood there, wondering what was so eerily familiar about that last little interaction with the doctor. And then it clicked.


End file.
